Edward Snowden

IT specialist, whistleblower (* 1983, Elisabeth City, USA)

Listen to the short biography here!

After dropping out of his Computer Science Studies course, Edward Snowden began working as an IT specialist for the CIA and as a contractor for the NSA. In June 2013, while in Hong Kong, he revealed himself to be the whistleblower who leaked the surveillance and espionage practices of both of these intelligence agencies, which had been previously published by the British newspaper, The Guardian.

Since then Edward had been prosecuted by the U.S. and has asked for asylum in 21 countries. While some see him as a criminal and a traitor, he is celebrated by the majority worldwide as a patriot, who stands up, regardless of his own well-being, in the interest of the people in order to safeguard the privacy and the protection of civil rights. Currently he is at an undisclosed location in Russia, which has granted him asylum for one year.